Support and reel structure for table tennis nets



March 7, 1939. J, H|| $QN 2,150,033

SUPPORT AND REEL STRUCTURE FOR TABLE TENNIS NETS Filed March 29, 1938 I v jaw/27172 Jaw Jfllrwz %j%4/ "//M Patented'MaaZ 1939 UNITED, STATES PAT N -Q OFFICETVV surroarann REEL s'mUorUan non mam rams NETS Jacob musoignmoknne, Mass, assignor to Barvard pecialty' Mfg. Com, Cambridge, Mass.,

a corporation of vMassachusetts Application March 29, 1938, Serial No. 198.111

' 401m (chm- 30) This invention relates to a support'and reel structure for a net such as is used in playing the game known as table-tennis or ping-pong. It deals more especially with a structure that en ables maintenance of the net inthe desired tau't T condition, irrespective of variations in the width of loose parts and can be readily secured to a' table and-operated without tools to take up any net slack. Generally stated, such structure comprises a frame inclusive of means for securement to a table, a post upstanding from the frame and on which the usual tubular seam of the net is loosely or removably receivable, means for releasably holding the seam against slippage upon rotation of the post, and means. normally holdbeing manually releasable to enable the rotation of the post and the winding thereon of net slack.

The means fo'rfreleasably' holding the seam against slippage upon rotation of the supporting I post may advantageously take the form of an elongated member of U-shape cross section pivotally secured at its lower end to the post and swingable to an upstanding position so as partially encompass the post and thus hold the With the foregoing and other features and objects in view, the invention hereof wili'now be descrjbed in further detail with particular refer- 40 ence to the accompanying drawing, wherein,, Figure ishows in perspective a net installed on ,a table with one end of the net supported by-fa supportand reel structure embodying the' Figure 3 depicts in disassembled relationship those portions of the post andframe that cooperate to hold the postnormally against rotationin the frame. 1 I

. Flgure4 shows in perspective the net-receiving portion of the post with the tubular endseam of the net received thereon and just before the, memberfor releasably-holding the seam 55 ainst slippage has beenbrought into seamholding position.

' Figure 5 represents a section on the line 5+5 of Figure 4. Figure dis a similar'view but after the seamholding member has been brought into seaming the'post-against rotation in the frame but I l5 of a table-tennis net I6 is loosely receivable, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, is substantially seam against slippage upon rotation of the post./

holding position and thepost has been-rotated somewhat to take up net slack.

As appears'in Figures 1 and 2, the structure hereof comprises asubstantially U-shaped frame ill engageable over the edge portion of a table II 5 with its legs Ilia and lllb extending substantially parallelly to the "substantiallyhorizontal table surfaces. The frame preferably includes a bar l2 bridging its legs and secured thereto at regions well removed from the bend or closed end por- 1C tion Iiic. The bar l2 serves not only as a brace for 'theframe-legs Illa and llib but also as an abutment bearing against the side edge of the table and v thus stopping undesirable inward movement of the frame relative to the table. 15 The frame also includes means for securement to the table as in the form of a screw element l3 threaded through the frame leg Ilibat a region somewhat outwardly of the bar l2. The inner end portion I3a of thescrew-element is prefer- 2(' ably of enlarged cup shape so as to engage firmly the under surface of the table, as shown in Figure 1, whereas the outer end portion of the screw element may be of enlarged eye-shape I312 to permit easy grip and' turning by the fingers.

The post M 'on which the tubular end-seam vertically upstanding from the frame l0. Such i post is shown as comprising a lower end portion passing through suitable openings in both legs.

' of the frame [0 adjacent to the closed end por' tion We and extending somewhat beyond 1 the lower leg lb of the frame with its extension Ma equipped with one 'or more lugs Mbpermitting limited upward axial movement of the post. Downward axial movement of the post as well asrotation of the post is shown as beingprevented by one or more lugs [4c protruding therefrom into one or more complemental recesses IS in 40 the upper surface of the frame leg Illa immediately adjacent to the opening 0 through which the post The lugs He may be normally held in the complementai recesses I5 by a suitable spring, preferably a compression coil spring encompassing the post portion immediately below the frame leg la and confined'in position under suitable-pressurewith its uppermost convolution bearing against the lower surface of such frame leg and its lowermost convolution bearing against an annular ledge l1 suitably fixed to the post.

By bearing on the lower end of the post against the pressure of the spring 26 so as to effect further compression thereof, as with the thumb, until the lugs lie have been disengaged from their com- L the post is kept rfom. slipp during the rota- 'gq against slippage as its supporting post is beins rotated for the purpose of taking up the net slack may take the form of an elongated member l8 of U-shaped cross-section, whose lower end portion may consist of a yoke I9 pivotally secured, as at 20, to the post. After the tubular end-seam it of the net has been slipped over the post ll with its lower end in between the yoke arms I9 immediately above the pivot 20, the member I8 is swung upwardly and pushed into position over the seam and post. The space or gap between the walls of the member I8 is such that in being pushed or forced into position over the seam II, it tightly engages and compresses the fabric constituting such seam and the seam is held in between such member and the post under sufficient friction to obviate slippage thereof upon rotation of the post. Accordingly, once the member I8 is in position over the tubular end-seam of the net, the post may, as already indicated, be moved'axially upwardly with the thumb of one hand to a position permitting of its rotation and then rotated with the fingers of the other hand to wind or take up any net slack thereon and on such member, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 6. The post may then be released so as to enable the spring 26 automatically to force it downwardly and restore it to the position where the lugs Ho engage the complemental frame recesses l and thereby prevent unwinding of the previously taken-up net slack. So as to facilitate turning movement or rotation of the post by the fingers, its upper end portion lld may be fashioned as "a somewhat enlarged knurled head.

2 While-it is possible to use a support and reel structure embodying the invention hereof for each of the tubular end-seams of a table-tennis net, yet it is necessary to-provide only one such structure for the proper installation of the net. It is for this reason that the completely installed net depicted in Figure 1 comprises the support and reel structure hereof only on one sideof the table.

The other side... of the table may. have fastened thereto any suitable or conventional support, for instance, one comprising a U-shaped frame II from which is upstanding a post 22 for loosely receiving the other tubular end-seam 23 of the net It. The lower end ofthe seam 23 may rest on the bend of a hook element 24 projecting upwardly from the post 22. It is to be understood that the inventive principles hereof might be embodied in support and reel structures other than the typical one specifically described and illustrated herein and that the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art permits.

I claim: i. A support and reel structure for-a tabletennis net equipped with a tubular end-seam, comprising a frame structure inclusive of means for securement'to a table, a postupstanding from said frame and on which said tubular seamis loosely receivable, an elongated member of U- shaped cross section pivotally secured at its lower end portion to said post and swingable to an upstanding position so as partially to encompass said post and hold said tubular seam firmly against slippage upon rotation of said post, and means normally holding said post against rotation in said frame but being releasable to enable the rotation.

of said post and the winding thereon of net slack. Q

2. A support and reel structure for a tabletennis net equipped with a tubular end seam, comprising a frame inclusive of means for securement to a table, a post upstanding from said frame and on which said tubular seam'is loosely receivable, an elongated member of U-shaped cross section pivotally secured at its lower end portion to said post and swingable to an upstandingposition so as partially to encompass said post and hold said tubular seam firmly against slippage upon rotation of said post, said post comprising a lug andsaidframe comprising a stop element normally engaged by said lug to prevent rotation of said post but said post being axially movable to a position resulting in disengagement of said lug and said stop element to permit rotation of said post, andspring means for automatically restoring said post to a position resulting in reengagement of said stop element by said lug.

3. A support and reel structure for a tabletennis net equipped with a tubular end-seam, comprising au-shaped frame engageable over the edge portion of a-substantially horizontal table with its legs extending substantially parallelly with said table, said frame including means for securement to said table, a post upstanding from said frame and on which. said tubular seam is receivable, said post comprising a lower end portion passing through openings in both legs of said frame and extending somewhat beyond the lower leg of said frame, a lug projecting from said post, a recess in the upper leg of said frame in which said lug normally engages and thereby prevents rotation of said post, a ledge on said post in between the legs of said frame, a compression spring confined in between the upper leg of said frame and said ledge, said post being axially mov-' able in an upward axial direction to disengage said lug from said recess and thereby permit rotation of said post, and means for releasably holding said tubular seam against slippage upon rotation of said post and thereby enabling the winding on said post ofnet slack. p

4. A support and reel structure for a tabletennis net equipped with a tubular end-seam, comprising a U-sh'aped frame engageable over the edge portion of a substantially horizontal table with its legs extending substantially parallelly with said table, said frame including means for securement to said table, a post upstanding from said frame and on which said tubular seam is receivable, said post comprising a lower end por tion passing through openings in both legs of said 'frame and extending somewhat beyond the lower leg of said frame, a lug projecting from said post, a recess in the upper leg of said frame in which said lug normally engages and thereby prevents rotation of said post, a ledge on said postin between the legs of said frame, a compression spring confined in between the'upper leg of said frame and said ledge, said-post being axially movable-in an upward axial direction to disengage said lug from said recess and thereby permit rotation of said post, and an elongated member of U-shaped cross section pivotally secured at its lower end portion to said post above the upper leg of said frame and swingable to an upstanding position so as partially to encompass said 'post and hold said "tubular seam firmly against slippage upon rotation of said post and thereby enabling the winding on said post of net slack.

JACOB HILLSON. 

